Fish & Chips

How lazy bass catch prey

Have you ever noticed a school of bluegills swimming carelessly around a large bass? It actually happens all the time. If a bluegill can see a predator like a bass they are actually pretty comfortable. It's when they don't see the bass that they are put in a vulnerable position.

Bass are generally opportunistic predators. They rarely engage in a fair chase situation. Some would even go as far as to say that bass are just plain lazy. This is why they spend so much of their time under cover like vegetation or large boulders. They are actually waiting for the perfect opportunity to ambush their prey without expending any energy.

Lake Reports

Alamo: Fishing is good. Topwaters are catching fish early. Caroline rigged lizards are working well throughout the day. Flipping plastics in heavy cover is also producing some largemouth. Crappie fishing is still good.

Apache: Fishing is good. Crawdad color crankbaits are working well. Fishing after dark with plastics has been really productive. Stick to points and steep, rocky areas. The flathead fishing is good in the river.

Bartlett: Fishing is good. Westy Worms and Yamamoto jigs are producing on points and rockpiles. Topwaters and jerkbaits are working during the morning and evening hours. Fishing is good for both channel and flathead catfish.

Pleasant: Fishing is good. Walker says topwaters and jerkbaits over points are producing some fish early and late in the day. However, the best bite is coming in the evenings on Westy Worms and split-shot rigs.

Roosevelt: Fishing is slow. Some bass are being caught on worms and lizards fished on deep points. Also try small shad and crappie imitations. Catfishing has been good. A 72-pound flathead was caught on live bait last week! Crappie fishing is fair at 16-to-20 feet.

Saguaro: Fishing is fair. Walker also says that this is a good place for Westy worms and Yamamoto jigs on bluffs and points.

Cliff's tip of the Week

By presenting an easy target in the right place you can entice a lazy summer bass into biting. Keep in mind that food is so plentiful right now that the fish don't have to make much of an effort to eat. They're probably not going to swim across a rocky point to get your bait. Be sure to slow down and try to put your bait within inches of where you think the fish is positioned. Look for cover that might make a good ambush point for a bass.

Cliff Pirch's Guide Service can be reached at 978-3518.

Other fishing hot spots

Chevelon Canyon: Trout fishing is fair. Most fish being caught are within the slot and release is required. best fishing is with Kastmaster, Z-ray, or Super Duper lures. Trout may be taken with artificial lures and flies only, and trout between 10 and 14 inches may not be possessed.

Bear Canyon: Trout fishing is fair. Best baits are green or rainbow Power Bait and worms.

Black Canyon: Trout fishing is fair. Best fishing is at sunrise or sunset. Try worms or Power Bait from shore and cowbells or small lures from boats.

Willow Springs: Trout fishing is fair to good. Green or rainbow Power Bait is working best from shore. Boaters should try trolling with small lures or flies or wooly worms; also try bottom fishing close to shore with worms if trolling isn't working well. Recently stocked with catchable-sized trout.

Woods Canyon: Trout fishing is fair; use worms or green or rainbow Power Bait from shore or troll small lures, such as Z-rays or Crickhoppers, or flies and wooly worms from boats. There is a store concession at the lake with boat rentals available. Recently stocked with catchable-sized trout.